With the improvement of living standards, worldwide population aging and younger onset population, the patients with cerebral and cardiovascular diseases are increased year by year. It has become the second large disease that does harm to human health. Angina pectoris is a clinical syndrome which is characterized in chest pain and chest discomfort, caused by myocardial temporary ischemia and hypoxia. Coronary heart disease (CHD) angina pectoris means the pectoris induced by myocardial ischemia and hypoxia that is caused by coronary arteriosclerosis or spasm, accounting for about 90% of the patients with angina pectoris.
Now, the methods for treating angina pectoris are dominated by dilating vessels, reducing blood viscosity and inhibiting platelets aggregation as well as anticoagulation. Traditionally, the chemicals include the nitrate, nitrite, β-receptor blocker and calcium antagonist. However, due to the stronger toxicity and side effect, these drugs are not suitable to use for long time. In addition, most of them focus on symptomatic treatment with no more effect on disease progress. Occasionally, symptoms occur after administrating the nitroglycerin, for example the head pain, head throbbing, speed-up heartbeat and even syncope (see New Pharmaceutics, 14th edition, p 264). Recently, the nitroglycerin was reported to have problems of inducing severe hypotension (see China Journal of Morden Medicine, 1997, 7 (4): 42, Shanxi Medicine Journal, 1996, 25(2) 315) and of being prone to producing tolorance (see Nanfang Journal of Nursing, 1996, 3(5):7˜9). Hence, this hindered its application in clinic.
The phenolic acid derivatives of traditional Chinese medicine are widely distributed in the medicinal plants, e.g. Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica Thunb.), Roots of Rubus crataegifolius (Rosaceae), composite Dandelion and breviscpini, Labiatae Salvia officinalis, Canarium bengalense (Burseraceae) and Umbelliferae Angelica Sinensis and Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong etc. More and more attentions have been paid to the pharmacological activities that were found in the phenolic acid derivatives of these plants, for example scavenging free radicals, anti-inflammation, anti-virus, regulating immune, anticoagulation and anti-tumor etc. Usually, the phenolic acid derivatives are categorized as follows: the benzoic-acid-based phenolic acids, for example Dioscorea bulbifera L and Dandelion; the cinnamic-acid-based phenolic acids, for example, the ferulic acid, a cheif bio-active component in the water-soluble extract of Angelica Sinensis (Oliv.), Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong and Dandelion; the lithospermic acid that is isolated from Salviae Miltiorrhizae Bge (Fam. Labiatae); the phenylacetic-acid-based phenolic acids, for example the p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid found in Dandelion and Forsythia suspense. 
Tanshinone, also known as the total tanshinones, is the bacteriostatic fat-soluble phenanthraquinones extracted from the root of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Bge (Fam. Labiatae). More than 10 compounds have been identified, including the tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, tanshinone IIB, cryptotanshinone and isocryptotanshinone etc. Wherein, 5 compounds of cryptotanshinone, dihydrotanshinone II, hydroxytanshinone, methyl tanshinate and tanshinone IIB are confirmed to have the antibacterial effect, as well as the effects of anti-inflammation and lowering temperature. Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate, a sulfonation product of tanshinone IIA, is water-soluble and clinically proven to have significant effect for treating angina pectoris and little side effect. It has been developed into a new drug for treating coronary heart disease (CHD). Multple effects have been found in the total tanshinones in anti-bacterium, diminishing inflammation, activating blood by removing stasis and promoting wound repair, and there is no significant side effect after long term of administration.
Saponine is a glucoside, which has triterpene or spirostane aglycones and is mainly distributed in land higher plants. The main components in lot of Chinese herbs, e.g. the Ginseng, Balloonflower and bupleurum include saponines. The saponines are confirmed to have the bioactivities of anticancer, inhibiting proliferation of tumor cell, inducing apotosis, affecting cancer cell signal transduction and inhibiting tumor angiogenesis and tumor cell metastasis as well. Also, the saponines have the effects of reducing blood sugar and blood lipid, anti-virus and regulating immune, becoming a very popular research subject at home and abroad.
Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, bitter in flavor, slightly cold in property, comes from the root of Salvia militiorrhiza Bunge. It converges to heart and liver channel, having the functions of stopping pain by removing stasis, promoting blood circulation by activating blood and tranquilizing the mind by relieving restlessness etc. As shown in modern pharmacological study, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae has the effects of dilating coronary artery, ameliorating microcirculation, protecting heart, inhibiting and removing platelet aggregation, enhancing the resistance of organism to anoxia, and anti-hepatitis, anti-tumor and anti-virus. In 2001, it was reported by Institute of Pharmacology of Chinese Medical Academy that the water-soluble bioactive components totally amounted to 13 phenolic acids, which was found in Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae and same generic plants, including salvianolic acid A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, lithospermic acid, rosmarinic acid and isosalvianolic acid C (see Bulletin of Medical Research, 2001, 30(7)) and their pharmacological effects. In 2002, salvianolic acid K was identified structurally (see Journal of Xinjiang Medical University, 2002, 25(3)). The water-soluble bioactive components in Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae were also studied abroad. In 1999, the study was carried out by US Georgetown University on bioactivity of 13 salvianolic acids in anti HIV integrase and other viruses and applied for US patent. It was indicated that Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae was a very potential medicinal plant with commercially developing value.